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Middletown a Study in Modern American Culture
Paperback
Anthropology20th Century United States HistoryGeneral Sociology
ISBN13: 9781025842905
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 570
Weight: 1.74
Height: 1.16 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
Middletown: A Study in Modern American Culture is a landmark work of sociology that provides an exhaustive and insightful analysis of community life in a representative American city during the early 20th century. Conducted by Robert S. Lynd and Helen Merrell Lynd, this pioneering study examines the intricate social fabric of Muncie, Indiana-referred to throughout the text as Middletown-to understand the profound shifts occurring within the American middle and working classes.
The authors categorize the daily activities of the city's inhabitants into six primary areas: getting a living, making a home, training the young, using leisure, engaging in religious practices, and participating in community activities. By contrasting the social environment of the 1890s with that of the 1920s, the work captures the dramatic transformation brought about by rapid industrialization, the rise of consumerism, and the introduction of new technologies like the automobile.
As one of the first systematic applications of anthropological methods to a contemporary Western community, Middletown: A Study in Modern American Culture remains an essential text for understanding the historical development of American social institutions and the evolution of the modern urban identity. It offers a fascinating window into the values, struggles, and aspirations of a society in transition.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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